Little Big Chats: The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee Podcast

It's World Cup time, and the incipient season of soccer has this month's featured match super excited to root for their favorite teams. Big Brother Juan and Little Brother A'Zir matched last fall. And so they're not only talking about soccer with one another. The arrival of warm weather means they get to play the game together as well. And even though it's early in their match, they're already fin...

Even before Little Sister Cat met Big Sister Hailey, she loved to read. But she didn't always have someone with whom to share her passion for books. Now that they're matched, they each have a constant outlet for their literary criticism and a source for new reading recommendations. And this pair is equally at home in the great outdoors as they are in a library, already planning many new adventures...

With graduation nearing, it's that time of year when high school seniors are starting to think about what comes next. And for Little Brother Shawndell, he enters this period of uncertainty with the extra assurance of having a Big Brother of eight years who's been there and done that. Shawndell says his Big Brother Rafael is a "real man" who's been successful in life, family and his career. And now...

The time and talents of generous volunteers are what makes it possible for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee to pursue its mission. But this year's Community-Based Match of the Year is going above and beyond in their support for the program that supports their match. Big Brother Glen and Little Brother Preston have taken it upon themselves to organize a Pickle Ball fundraiser in support...

Little Sister Mariyah has always been interested in art. But she never saw herself getting up at a fundraiser and SELLING her art, until Big Sister Sara gave her a little nudge. Over three years together in the Mentor2.0 program, they've always worked together to chart Mariyah's path into the future. And now, they can add Mentor2.0 Match of the Year to their list of wins.

In this episode of Little Big Chats, we celebrate January as National Mentoring Month by meeting three members of the Big Impact Group from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee. With Keith, Olivia, and Carlos, we'll discuss the importance of mentorship, the challenges faced in recruitment and program development, and personal stories of mentorship that have shaped their lives. The conversat...

As we look back on 2025, we're grateful to have celebrated our 50th anniversary with so many friends of the BBBS program at the Big Bash event this summer. So many people came out and shared stories of how Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee has changed their lives for the better. In this episode, we hear from Big Sister Bailey, her Little Sister Davonna, and Davonna's real-life sister Cha...

BBBS of Metro Milwaukee has been supporting helpful mentoring relationships in the Milwaukee area for more than 50 years now. And it's truly our volunteer mentors who enable us to make such a massive impact on the community. In this episode, we meet Trevor, a community-based Big Brother who’s putting other men on notice to step up and take a stake in their community. And then we connect with Big S...

Some folks just don't know how to be bored. That's why, when Little Brother Nathan met his new Big Brother Glen, he knew they would be a great match. No matter what they found to talk about, they were both super interested and wanted to learn more. Now, years later, the pair has turned their broad interests into all kinds of diverse hobbies, including sailing with the Sea Scouts, working on bicycl...

Little Sister Bella doesn't let just anyone into her life. As a freshman in high school, she's at that age where it's not "cool" to get excited about anything, and she's got to play it off chill not matter what. But when she met her Big Sister Marchelle a little more than a year ago, that started to change. Together, they've learned to match "each other's vibe," taking turns picking activities, tr...

In this episode, we continue celebrating the 50th anniversary of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, highlighting the importance of mentorship in transforming the lives of youth facing adversity. We'll speak with Julie Novak, the Chief Youth Protection Officer for BBBS's national office, about her 30+ year career with the organization and her family's continuing involvement. And longtime...

Earlier this month, BBBS of Metro Milwaukee celebrated its 50th anniversary with a huge party on Cathedral Square downtown. At the same time, we cut the ribbon on our new headquarters nearby, cementing the next 50 years of our Milwaukee legacy. For the Little Big Chats Podcast, we spent the entire afternoon chatting with matches, supporters and friends of the program to capture the impact that BBB...

When they were first matched in 2005, Big Sister Sheree and Little Sister Gabrielle didn't realize they were beginning a friendship that would carry them both into new decades of their lives. Through elementary school, middle school and high school, Sheree was there for Gabrielle as a mentor. But then, when Gabrielle turned 18 and her BBBS mentorship was set to officially end, they discovered they...

Big Brothers Big Sisters is all about putting one caring adult mentor together with a young person and letting them work and grow together. But sometimes, these matches... match up AGAIN with another pair. One big and little match pairs up with another, and the two groups end up spending as much time together as they do in their individual duos. So in this episode, we meet Taylor and Xavier, a Men...

Many grown-ups look back on their time in school and wish they could go back and do it differently. Big Sister Gabbi is no exception. But, with her Little Sister Lupe winding down her time in high school, Gabbi actually has the chance to provide Lupe with all the advice and guidance that could have helped her thrive in the transition to college. And here's the kicker... Lupe is listening, EAGERLY....

For Little Brother Nazir, having a Big Brother isn't just about having someone to explore and be active with. It's about having someone challenge him to think, solve and be curious about the big questions in life. Whether it's playing mind-bending puzzle games, reading books on self-improvement, or asking big questions about the nature of the cosmos, his Big Brother Dan is ready to join him in eve...

For big brother Josh and little brother Nathan, having a brother was a new experience. Neither of them grew up with a brother in their immediate family. But when they got matched up several years ago, they quickly fell into seemingly familiar roles as one another's chief supporters, rivals and antagonists. This pair loves to play games, spend time outside, and give each other a good-natured hard t...

In this episode of Little Big Chats, we speak with Lanelle Ramey and Betty Hill from Mentor Greater Milwaukee about the importance of mentoring relationships, the challenges faced in the mentoring community, and the impact of mentorship on both youth and mentors. We'll discuss our personal stories of mentorship, the importance of cultural humility, and the upcoming National Mentoring Month events...

For some people, being on a microphone or on-camera is an absolute nightmare. But not Little Brother Josiah; he eats it up. Whether it's his budding interest as a gaming streamer, or the catalogue of music tracks he's voiced and mixed, Josiah's aspirations as a digital creator have him pursuing stardom. And with the support of his Big Brother Miles, an entrepreneur and restauranteur, Josiah's drea...

Mentoring relationships supported by Big Brother Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee can end up being some of the most meaningful relationships in participants' lives. So, when someone's Little Brother or Sister ages out of the program, it can be a minute before they're ready to jump back in and volunteer again. But many former Bigs still want to find other ways to stay engaged with BBBS. So in this ep...

10-year-old Little Sister Ocean is always looking for little experiments. It doesn't have to be the kind of big, flashy science experiments you see at school or on social media. Ocean is happy to take what life gives her, try something new, and see what happens. And with her Big Sister Siobhan, the world is their laboratory.

With two brothers and two dads, Little Sister Asia was starting to feel like there was nowhere to turn for a little "girl talk." That is, until she met her Big Sister Anna five years ago. Since then, they've developed an indelible bond, cemented in their mutual love of dogs, their senses of humor, and the kind of advice that can only pass from a grown woman to a growing girl.

One of the hardest things to do in life is change your habits for the better. And screen time is a habit than many people--not just kids--struggle to regulate. But in this episode, we meet Little Brother CJ, who has taken a proactive approach to his screen time habits with the support of his Big Brother Matt. A community-based match, they also discuss their shared interests such as sports, video g...

When Betsy bought her first house a few years ago, she decided it would be a practical adventure to do some of the renovations herself. And, fortunately, she had a perfect carpenter's assistant waiting at the ready in her little sister Aaliyah. Together, they've swung hammers, worked miter saws and built noodle boards. And in the course of learning new skills and expanding their horizons, they've...

In order to make sure that key perspectives are represented in its decision making, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee Board of Directors appoints three "Voices of the Mission" to its membership. These leaders represent the Littles, the Bigs and the parents of Littles, and help the board understand how their policy-making impacts the BBBS mission on a granular level. So in this episod...